How Sumatra’s lost trees turned extreme rain into catastrophe

Deforestation by both legal and illegal means has steadily eroded ecological resilience in Indonesia, worsening the impacts of flooding in recent days
A woman walks among tree trunks stranded on a shore following deadly flash floods and landslides, in Padang, West Sumatra province, Indonesia
A woman walks among tree trunks stranded on a shore following deadly flash floods and landslides, in Padang, West Sumatra province, Indonesia, November 30, 2025. (Photo: REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan)

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